Well, my discussion this morning about approaching the quality of the Colorado River by isolating some of the heavy salt inputs into the river is not a part of our program. We have not studied that. I was suggesting that this morning as some new way to approach the water quality problem of the Colorado River.

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Chairman, may I address myself very briefly to that. You have asked a most profound question. I do not think there is an answer now as to how large a program of desalting might there be to augment the Colorado River or to clean it up. That is to me, at least, one of the most important aspects of the westwide study, in which we are currently engaged and which we have to submit by 1977.

I think the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department would be remiss if at least somewhere down the road they could not answer the question which you have just asked. But I don't think there is an answer in existence today, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. JOHNSON. I have looked at several of these processes, and I have heard several others mentioned. There must be known technology to do this now. Certainly we have the greatest need for this type of water treatment.

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

Mr. JOHNSON. As I review this legislation, I hope that when we pass it there will be authorization to make that type of study and make it a function of the Office of Saline Water. I think a test facility of a fair size, should be placed on one of these rivers to take care of this type of water.

We hear people talking about the quality of water beyond a given point. If we could process this with some type of treatment, and thus bring it back to an acceptable quality so that it could be used for irrigation and other purposes, I think this would add more to our water supply than some of these other things.

Mr. O'MEARA. I think the chairman will be pleased to know the Office of Saline Water is participating in a meeting tomorrow in Fresno, where we are meeting with the Bureau of Reclamation and Environmental Protection Agency to study the problem at the San Luis drain. As a result of that meeting, we may provide a pilot plant to get us some data on the treatment of that water.

Mr. JOHNSON. That is very good, because we have the very real problem, as you know, of trying to take care of the effluent found in the San Luis drain. I think much of that could be cleaned up and placed back in the San Joaquin River or some of those canals we now have running in every direction down there. The valley is criss-crossed with water delivery facilities and we are short of water in the area. It makes no sense to move that water all of the way out to the bay and get into trouble with environmentalists and everyone else if we can treat it and use it in the area. There are plenty of places for the water to go there. We have creeks, rivers, and canals, and we have the land resources in the immediate area.

I do hope when we perfect this, we will have enough authority in here to allow you to participate. Because I think there is a good opportunity here to have a breakthrough without too much trouble.

Now, I agree and I want to see the Office of Saline Water continue. I think you have made some real strides in the last year and a half and I hope it continues. We are getting into the larger type facilities. We hope to get some decent prototypes in operation, and I think this will give us what we are after as far as the saline water program is concerned.

Brackish and return flow waters and sanitary effluents should all be considered. I think it will help us resolve our water problem, at least in the arid West, Oklahoma, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona. All are in the same situation along with New Mexico and Texas, I guess. It would help us greatly if we could have further breakthroughs in the technology and of cleaning up of our water.

I don't see much trouble with the legislation here. I think I could probably live with H.R. 5334, if we could work on that as a bill and amend it to take care of some of the minor matters that have been mentioned.

I think the committee will probably insist on annual appropriations. We like for you to come before the committee with your authorization bill, and then go on to the appropriations people for proper funding. I think the committee will be rather lenient with you in those authorizations. At least I hope so. Then you can take your chances at the appropriation level where you compete with the real pros there for the scarce dollar.

Mr. SMITH. With the present make-up of this subcommittee, Mr. Chairman, we are most optimistic.

Mr. JOHNSON. I want to thank you both for coming here today and giving your testimony. Do you have some questions?

Mr. CASEY. I just have a request for the record, if I may, Mr. Chairman. We need one piece of data from the Department witnesses. Mr. JOHNSON. Fine.

Mr. CASEY. In your paragraph on cooperative work, you summarize your studies. Then in the detailed information on page 4, under R. & D. operating expense, we find desalting studies and program analysis, $725,000.

I wonder if you would be kind enough to put in the record a breakdown of that $725,000 figure, so that we can see how it is being applied to the several States that you have enumerated in your narrative testimony?

Mr. O'MEARA. I would be glad to do that.

Mr. CASEY. Thank you. That is all I have. (The information follows:)

FISCAL YEAR 1972 BUDGET FOR PROGRAM ANALYSIS AND DESALTING FEASIBILITY AND ECONOMIC STUDIES STAFF

A. PROGRAM ANALYSIS

Program Analysis plans to strongly support the continued development of analytical tools to assist OSW management in program decision making. The emphasis will be on individual project evaluation, program planning and costing, technological estimating (forecasting) and computer support for these activities.

Fiscal year 1972 budget---

$100,000

B. DESALTING FEASIBILITY AND ECONOMIC STUDIES STAFF

Category I-Engineering economic studies, fiscal year 1972:

Parametric desalting processes cost studies and comparisons----- $215,000

(Includes contracts with: A. D. Little Co., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Hittman Associates, Bureau of Reclama

tion, American Water Works Association.)

Category II-Prelimiary engineering feasibility studies:

1. Joint OSW-State studies:

California (task agreement No. 2).

Florida

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Oklahoma

35, 000

35, 000

55, 000

30,000

50,000

30, 000

Pennsylvania

Utah

Wyoming

Subtotal

2. Joint OSW-Federal studies (Water Quality Office, Bureau of

Travel

Reclaration)

Desalting studies total__.

Mr. JOHNSON. Any further questions?

Mr. MCFARLAND. If I may add one, Mr. Chairman.

25, 000

25,000

50,000

335, 000

50,000 25, 000

625, 000

Mr. Secretary, going back to the west wide plan, of course, the Bureau of Reclamation is under your jurisdiction and OSW. I feel, and I think you probably feel, too, that a large operating desalting plant is a must in connection with the west wide water study. My question again is seeing there is coordination so we don't build two plants out there. If we are going to have one OSW is participating in, that will be the plant, a part of the west wide water study.

Mr. SMITH. I assure you we have enough coordination to prevent repetition and any redundancy, Mr. McFarland. But I am happy to have it in the record.

Mr. O'MEARA. This morning you asked Mr. Segerstrom for a copy of our cooperative agreement. I have that and I can submit it for the record, if you like.

Mr. JOHNSON. Fine. We will place it in the record at this point. (The document follows:)

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. OFFICE OF SALINE WATER, AND ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE VTE/MSF DISTILLATION MODULE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

This Cooperative Agreement made and entered into as of the 21st day of April 1971, between the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, hereinafter referred to as "Government," represented by the Secretary of the Interior or his duly authorized representative, and the ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT of Orange County, California, hereinafter referred to as "OCWD."

RECITALS

A. The Secretary of the Interior has been authorized by the Act of Congress of July 3, 1952, as amended and supplemented, to conduct research and development in the practical means for the economical production of fresh water from seawater or brackish waters.

B. The Congress, in furtherance of the above Act, has enacted P.L. 91-221, approved March 31, 1970, which authorized and approved funding for the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the Office of Saline Water, hereinafter referred to as "OSW," to design and construct a Vertical Tube Evaporation/Multiple Stage Flash module, hereinafter referred to as “VTE/MSF module,” to advance the technology of desalting by distillation.

C. OSW and OCWD both have extensive programs in their own areas of activity which will contribute to the development of the VTE/MSF module. OSW, under the Saline Water Act, has conducted extensive development work on the MSF and VTE distillation systems for a period of more than 10 years. OCWD has had responsibility for a broad program of water resources management in its District. The OCWD management program requires a source of high quality water for blending with reclaimed waste water for use in the Orange County Coastal Barrier Project.

D. OSW, on May 8, 1970, as an initial effort in this program contracted with four desalting equipment suppliers to establish an optimum design for an advanced design desalting process or combination of processes in terms of minimum water costs for a very large distillation plant and to determine the minimum size necessary for a module unit to firmly establish the technologies and economics. As a result of these studies, OSW has selected Envirogenics Company, a division of Aerojet-General Corporation to prepare detailed designs and specifications for the VTE/MSF module. OCWD has offered to provide an appropriate site for the development, construction and operation of the module and to participate with OSW in the development and operation of an advanced design desalting process utilizing a VTE/MSF distillation module. OSW will require facilities for the disposal of the water and OCWD can use the product water in its waste water reclamation and water replenishment program.

E. OSW and OCWD have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding dated July 31, 1970, expressing their intent to execute a definitive agreement guided by the above Understanding.

F. OCWD has engaged an architectural and engineering firm to assist in specific site surveys to support the details of the definitive agreement.

G. Both parties hereto are fully aware that the current authorization of the Congress provides only for the construction of a VTE/MSF module, which has future potential for expanding the module to a prototype plant.

Now, therefore, in consideration of the terms, covenants and conditions herein contained and the foregoing Recitals, the parties hereto do hereby agree as follows:

1. Joint Participation

AGREEMENTS

The parties hereto shall jointly participate in the development, construction and operation of a VTE/MSF module and supporting facilities as herein provided, subject to and upon the terms, covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth.

2. Definitions

(a) Contract.-Wherever it appears in this Agreement, the word "Contract" shall mean "Agreement" and "Subcontract" shall mean "Subagreement."

(b) Contracting Officer.-Means the person executing this Agreement on behalf of the Government, or any other officer or civilian employee who is a properly designated Contracting Officer; and the term includes, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the authorized representative of a Contracting Officer acting within the limits of his authority.

(c) Contractor.-Wherever it appears in this Agreement, the word "Contractor" shall mean "Orange County Water District," sometimes referred to as "OCWD."

(d) Government.-Wherever it appears in this Agreement, the word “Government" or "OSW" shall mean the "United States of America."

(e) Joint Project.-The joint project is the development, construction and test operation of the VTE/MSF module and supporting facilities.

(f) Module.-A module is an experimental plant built to stimulate a section or integral portion of a larger plant. It is used to initially confirm critical design scale-up technology features required for subsequent prototype construction. The simulation reproduces or approximates the component dimensions, operating conditions and design features established for the full scale plant. The size of the module is determined by the minimum equipment needed to establish these requirements.

(g)__Prototype.-A prototype is a first of a kind full size water-producing plant of sufficient scale and detail so as to provide for complete process verification of modular-tested technology and process economics.

(h) Module Development Period.-The module development period is length of time required to design, construct and install and make operational the module plant, its appurtenances and related facilities, plus a test operation period of five (5) years after acceptance by the Government of the module under the terms of the contract therefor, provided that in no event shall such test period be construed to commence at any later date than July 1, 1973.

(i) Product Water.-Product Water is the desalinized water produced by the operation of the module.

3. Facilities

A. Plant Site

(1) Lease and Use.-OCWD shall and does hereby lease to the Government at no cost the real property in the county of Orange, California, more particularly described in Exhibit "A" attached hereto and by this reference made a part hereof, which said real property shall hereinafter be referred to as "plant site," to be used for the construction and operation of the joint project. Said lease shall commence as of the date hereof and shall continue for the term hereinafter provided in Article 8.B, or until terminated as hereinafter provided in Article 8.C, and may be extended an additional 2 years at no cost at the option of the Government by written notice on or before 6 months prior to expiration of the original lease.

OCWB specifically reserves a non-exclusive easement over and across said plant site for the construction, installation, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair of pipelines, which said pipelines shall be located in such a manner as not to unduly interfere with the joint project.

OCWD warrants: 1) that it has clear title to said plant site and the same is not encumbered in any way which would interfere with the lease herein provided; and 2) that it has proper authority to lease said plant site to the Government as herein provided.

(2) Environmental Requirements.-OSW and OCWD shall prepare such environmental impact reports on the joint project and the use of the plant site as are required by Federal and State laws and regulations. Said reports shall set forth :

(a) The environmental impact of the proposed action;

(b) Any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented;

(c) Alternatives to the proposed action;

(d) The relationship between local short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity; and

(e) Any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the proposed action should it be implemented; as provided in both the National Environmental Policy Act (42 USC 4321-4347) and California Public Resources Code.

In addition, said report shall set forth the mitigation measures proposed to minimize the environmental impact as provided in California Public Resources Code.

OSW and OCWD shall furnish to each other available data on outfall conditions, outfall streams, boiler stack emissions and sound level estimate for use in preparation of said environmental impact reports. OSW shall act as liaison between other Federal Agencies and OCWD for the purpose of obtaining information needed by OCWD to complete said report.

OSW shall complete its environmental impact report in the manner prescribed by the National Environmental Policy Act and applicable regulations and shall do all other things necessary to comply therewith.

OCWD shall complete its environmental impact report not later than May 15, 1971 in the manner prescribed by the California Public Resources Code and shall do all other things necessary to comply therewith.

(3) Permits and Local and State Regulations.-OCWD shall submit the location, purpose and extent of the joint project, together with the aforesaid environmental impact report to the planning agency having jurisdiction and shall otherwise comply with the provisions of California Government Code Section 65402.

OCWD shall by May 25, 1971 obtain any necessary licenses and permits from other local agencies as may be required in order to undertake and complete the